Tag Archives: Greens

My greens obsession is in full swing! In fact, I’ve finally had time for my garden to begin, and have planted rows and rows of healthy, nourishing greens. I can’t wait! The great thing is, my kids are almost as excited as I am.

Today I was playing around with some new combinations of flavors and came up with a great Kale Salad. I’ve done a few, all with some delectable blends that are sure to nourish and enliven your palate!

Prior to adding the beets, pear, and cheese, blend the first half of the ingredients, and add about 2 Tbs Olive oil, and a hefty squeeze of lemon. Take your time massaging the oil and lemon into the salad. Add course sea salt and pepper to taste and keep massaging. When the salad is tender the the touch, and the taste seems just right to you, add about 1/4 Cup Tessemae’s all Natural Lemonette Dressing. Then top with beets, pear, and Chèvre. A touch more salt and pepper if needed, and you’re all set for nourishing your body in a way that will also nourish your taste buds!

I just can’t get enough kale these days… it’s my new obsession (I fall into those sometimes. Thankfully, they’re all pretty healthy.) I’m loving all greens really, though Kale is my favorite. When I eat it, I have a bit of a super hero response, like I’m pretty sure if I spin around really fast, I might magically find myself in a satin cape, able to deflect bullets and all that… (That childhood fantasy is still there!)

Greens can be the food that people respond to with, “I should eat them more, but…” and, “I know they’re good for me, but…” yet most folks simply just don’t get enough.

In a TedxTalk on “Minding your Mitochondria,” Dr. Terry Wahls talks about how necessary relatively massive amounts of greens are for the myelin protecting our nerves, for our brain cells, for our mitochondria, and of course for the rest of our bodies.

Greens are rich in vitamins B, A, C, and K, as well as minerals. And Kale–my favorite! –has the most nutrition per calorie of any plant.

And knowing that… some of us still struggle, right?

What is it about greens that has us shying away, even in adulthood? too much limp, brown-tinted spinach as kids? Whatever the cause, it’s time to develop a love relationship with everything GREEN!

Here are a few ideas:

Massaged Greens

Thanks to my friend Erica, who shared with me the somewhat therapeutic practice of “massaging” greens, I’ve come to use this technique almost every time I eat them! It’s a great way to maintain all of the nutrition and still create a soft texture to chopped greens which can often have a tougher texture than other lettuce greens.

The idea is to chop the greens, put them into a large enough bowl that you can really get your hands into, add in whatever dressing, oil, or other complimentary items to, and dig in! …with you hands. Squeeze, rub, work your way into softening the texture of the greens. It really can be a wonderful sensory experience, along with creating a great nutrient-rich dish.

Here’s one of my favorites:

1 bunch of fresh, organic Kale, chopped
About 3 Green onions, chopped
One large handful of raw pine nuts
One large handful of Goji Berries
salt and pepper to taste
About 1/4 cup Tessemae’s All Natural Lemonette Dressing (Found at Whole Foods).
A bit more Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and fresh lemon (just squeeze over the top to taste)

Massage the above together for a good 5-10 minutes

(Note: Chicken can be added prior to massaging, if you prefer your chicken to have an almost “shredded” texture, or added after, to enjoy more whole chunks)

Another way to enjoy greens is to put them into fresh smoothies. I’ve seen a lot of recipes lately for green smoothies, detox drinks, and the like. Here’s one I’ve tried that is so fresh, a little tart, and starts my day out beautifully!

Green Smoothie

Blend together… if you have a powerful blender (like a Blendtec) you’ll get a smooth consistency fairly easily. If not, you might need to add a bit more water, and pulse on and off for a bit).

I’ve also added a handful of fresh, organic strawberries to this mix for a bit more “sweetness.”

Citrus fruits are full of phytonutrients that support not only our immune response, protecting us from a host of potential diseases, they are good for our skin and our other organs, and help keep all of our systems working smoothly.

The thing is…. we need to nourish our bodies–we need to Eat to Live, not Live to Eat. And when we choose to nourish through the consistent use of healthy, whole foods, our bodies begin to crave those. The “reward centers” in the brain become activated, and that feels good!

So plant some greens, eat some greens, LOVE some greens… and then ask your body how it feels!

When asked what foods they don’t like, Beets are often at the top of children’s ”yuck” list—and the same is true for some adults. For me, it’s taken time (especially since, as a little girl, my Dad used to tell me to eat my beats because they’d put hair on my chest—why he thought that was so funny, I never did understand!) …practice, and a developed palette to truly appreciate the benefits—both for my physical body as well as for the whole sensory experience—of being a beet lover. On top of that, it’s taken some unique and tantalizing recipes to entice my tongue—and mind. And it takes both, right?

This recipe is one I’ve played around with a bit. It might be on the “bitter” side for some but the nutritional benefits are enough to make it a truly delectable experience, especially if you’re one to consider “nourishing” your every cell as somewhat of a “high” for your BodyMind!

Yesterday, I picked a few of the beets from my garden, as well as some other greens and herbs, and decided it was time to explore this salad once again!

One whole grapefruit, sectioned, pith completely removed, and cut into bite-sized pieces (the combination of beet and grapefruit is delicious, I think. But if it’s a little on the bitter or tart side for you, substitute an orange instead!)